A Grave of Ice
by FlamingGoldfish24
Summary: When a new threat begins brewing in the shadows a new enemy emerges, determined to bring Jack to the side of darkness. With the young Guardian struggling to keep his troubles under wraps it'll take a lot more than luck for the Guardians to protect their newest member-and the world.
1. Chapter 1

**Um...My first ROTG fic...be gentle? :) Hope you like it!**

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The ice was cracking. I'd never had a dream before, let alone a nightmare, and as I stared from the eyes of a spectator the brown-haired boy hopped along the ice, terror hidden in his grin.

"Believe in me." I heard him say, holding out the familiar hooked staff. The little girl, eyes wide, smiled cautiously. I recognized her face from the only memory I'd ever seen, and though I couldn't even remember her name the expression on her face made my heart drop. I knew this part, what comes next, and I was in no mood to stick around and watch a second time. _Wake up! Idiot, three hundred years and you barely take a cat-nap and now I'm sleeping like Sandy._ The little girl jumped-and then disappeared under a wave of darkness that washed over my vision, as though a curtain was being drawn, a sticky tar of darkness that flooded the forest, burying _past-me_ and my little sister.

"_No!_" it was a nightmare, a memory, but that didn't stop me from wading through the shadows towards the two brown heads sinking away, my staff in one hand and the other reaching out desperately. The tar clung to my legs and stuck to my pants, tugging me backwards. _What's going on? _ I tugged harder, pushing forward even as the forest turned black before my eyes. Shadows dripped from the trees as though they were melting and the two heads were gone. I roared angrily, fighting back fiercely, swinging my staff and casting shots of ice at my unseen attackers.

"Let go!" I snarled, my legs trapped underneath the surface.

"Such a tragic scene to watch, Jack." the smooth sound of a voice in my ear made me freeze before whirling around wildly, staff raised, a blue light flickering on the tip of the hook. A pair of gold eyes stared back blankly.

"Raising a weapon against a stranger? Now that's quite rude, actually." my enemy scolded, sounding deceptively surprised. He was slightly taller than me, his skin deathly pale, almost grey. He looked plainly human save for the eyes that peered out from his jagged black hair. "Lucas." he piped, offering a hand, "pleasure to meet you, Frosty." I glared, tightening my grip on my staff, blue light flashing threateningly.

"What is _this?_" I demanded, casting a glance at the dark ocean that had risen to my waist. Lucas was skirting above it, the shadows swirling at the touch of his sneakers and nipping at the sleeves of his jacket. It was a dusty grey color, unzipped and framing the white T-Shirt underneath. _What kind of nightmare is this? _My mind flashed to Pitch, but he was long gone, buried in his own fear. Lucas grinned.

"This is the Darkness, Jack. It seems rather fond of you, doesn't it?" The sarcastic tone of his words was unsettling and I fired a quick warning shot, a bullet of ice that zipped by Lucas's ashen cheek. He blinked, pursing his lips.

"There's that attitude you're so famous for." another grin broke over his face and he chuckled, "and I thought I had the most attitude, looks like you've got me beat."

I swung my staff up and jabbed it into the Darkness, my jaw clenched as cracks of ice shot off forcefully, made stronger by my anger the blue veins spider-webbed over the black and shattering pieces of it.

"Oh dear." Lucas droned, rolling his eyes, "What're you getting all riled up for, Frosty? I'm just having a casual conversation."

"Conversation is _over_."

"Is it?"

"_Yes_." I spat, crackling the frozen shadows at my feet. My eyes widened as more Darkness welled up from all around me like lava, running over and flooding up again. I cursed under my breath, a rare thing even for me, as I fought to get free. _When I get out of here I'm gonna tear this guy apart!_

"_Enough!_" I roared, a rush of cold blasting from my fingertips as I panted angrily. A wall of white battered against Lucas and he staggered from his stance, falling backwards. The shadows parted for him, cushioning his fall and nudging him back up, tightening on me and quickening it's pace as thought the Darkness itself was angry now. _Not as angry as him, though. _Lucas was glaring with a fierceness that made even me shiver slightly.

** "****_Playtime is over_****." **His voice was colder than my own icy skin and it was suddenly overwhelming, loud and piercing as though it came from the darkness that polluted all around me, cracking against my ears as I desperately clutched them, trying to ease the sound of those three words.

"_Ah!" _The flood of black surged up and I was swallowed by the Darkness.

"Goodbye, Frosty."

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**So...Good? Bad? Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! hope you like!**

**Also, just so you know: a 'pooka' is supposedly the race of warrior rabbits Bunny belonged to. (a fictional rabbit species)**

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I jolted awake, my eyes flashing open as I bolted upright, sucking in ragged breathes. Trying to steady myself my fingers found my staff hanging off a nearby branch, swinging delicately in the winter breeze. I closed my fingers around it and concentrated on the pleasant cold as I unhooked it and brought it down, gathering myself up and staring out at the world around me.

I was exactly where I'd fallen asleep, high in the treetop above a snow-covered forest. My bare feet balanced easily on the branch as I stood, the result of years of practice and good stance. _Alright, alright. Calm down. Pitch is sealed away and the world has been fine for nearly a year, everything is fine. Just go on like usual._

With that in mind I hopped down, hanging in the air for a brief second before landing with a _thud_ in a pile of fluffy white. I huffed out a shaky laugh, brushing myself off before _taking_ off, running just for the sake of feeling the wind in my hair, my staff held out behind me spreading ice and frost as I went. Leaves froze under my feet and the air turned cold with my laughter, soft cotton –ball flakes fluttering around me in a flurry. I know exactly what I need to get my mind of this.

"How 'bout a blizzard?" I asked myself aloud, and with that I pushed off, launching into the air and through the gaps in the trees as I climbed up into the sky. I skimmed over the tree-tops, the wind erasing my worries and easing my lips into a smile as I spun over myself, arms outstretched. My grip on my staff was tight but pleasant, it's presence always soothing when soaring past the clouds, a feeling of weightlessness welling up.

"_Yeah!_" I shouted, banking left as a town approached in the distance, I swooped down and skimmed along the rooftops, spreading a blanket of snow as I went. Winter is back! And the people below shivered, smiling good-naturedly and chattering excitedly as I zipped by. They couldn't see me of course, but that didn't mean I couldn't have a little fun.

Laughing, I shot snow at the backs of unsuspecting bystander's heads and trailed ice along the sidewalk. It was late morning judging by the bustling in the town, and the sun, though shining brightly, was no match for my cold. I skirted along creating a path of slippery ice before gaining altitude again. With one last gust I sped off, spiraling through the endless blue of the morning air, heading along. I wasn't sure where I was going but it was like a gentle tug that pulled at me like a kite on a string.

"AW, YEAH!" I broke into a stream of excited whoops, the winter billowing out in a blanket behind me. My troubles were forgotten-_almost_. The terrain below gradually changed to a bustling highway, cars lined up everywhere. I prefer quiet towns like Burgess, but according to Tooth my job is to bring winter to _everyone_ (Not just Jamie and his friends). So, a grin lingering at my lips I dropped down to the sidewalk, this time surrounded by overwhelming buildings.

Eyes wide, I spun in a slow circle trying to take it all in. All around me were broken down homes, windows broken and doors boarded shut, yet in the distance there were glimmering towers. I can't even believe it. It was like these huge buildings had grown out of the remains of the old ones. That was sad somehow, and every corner was filled with a secretive darkness.

_Darkness_. I scowled. I could still see the glimmer of gold eyes in my mind, angry and somehow mischievous. I snorted and started walking, dodging to the side of people who were completely unaware of my existence. The snow was fierce now, reflecting my mood no matter how hard I tried to separate the two, white flakes kicking up and flinging around.

"First dream in three hundred years and I get some creep and his ocean of Darkness. Perfect." I muttered, trying to drag my happiness back as I wondered by an unfamiliar street corner. Something warm grabbed me by the hood and yanked me backwards into the alley-way,

"Hey-!" I was shoved back roughly, stumbling slightly.

"You haven't had a dream in three hundred years?" A familiar accented voice asked, "Ain't that a little strange, Mate?" I blinked, focusing on two fluffy white ears, then one big furry face.

"_Bunny_?" I demanded, eyes narrowing.

"Just like old times, ey?"

"Better not be." I warned, glancing around warily in search of any Yetis.

"_Relax_, Frosbite." The pooka shot back, rolling his eyes, "I'm here to drop somethin' off."

"How'd you know I was here?"

"Kid, ya leave a trail of snow everywhere you go. Not very discrete." I snorted, a little insulted by that. I could stay hidden if I wanted to. _Probably._ I was interrupted in my thought by Bunny jamming an envelope into my hand.

"Usually I'd tell North to get his tail out and deliver his own mail but the guy's goin' nuts with Christmas less than a month away." I nodded. With last year's events everyone was working ten times harder than usual to make this year absolutely perfect. I wondered how long the two argued before North threatened to call Tooth if Bunny didn't deliver. Bunny seemed to have an affection for the fairy, but you don't want to see her when she's angry.

"What is it?" I asked, staring at it. My name was written in delicate gold cursive and I frowned slightly, turning it over in my hand. It was a heavy paper that felt expensive, and red wax was pressed over the flap to keep it sealed, an ornate design pressed into the hardened puddle.

"No spoilers, kid. But you better come. I'm pretty sure North'll drag you there if he has to." And with that the enormous bunny thumped his paw on the concrete, disappearing into a tunnel without so much as a _Good day, Mate, _leaving a single yellow flower in his wake_. A flower growing on concrete? _Wrinkling my nose I hopped up, catching a breeze up to the roof of a nearby building and sitting on the edge thoughtfully.

"Come where?" I wondered aloud, gently peeling the seal up and opening the envelope warily. There was a folded piece of paper inside, and I unfurled it carefully, my eyes darting along and reading the intricate cursive. _My God_, North had beautiful handwriting.

It was an invitation to a Christmas party at North's palace, once he had delivered every last present. _Christmas morning?_ I'd never celebrated before, since I apparently _am _the naughty list. I grinned at the letter as though it were made of gold, pictures of everyone together again-this time enjoying themselves-flashing through my head. And then I saw another picture. Me, last Christmas, watching over the town quietly as they celebrated. I stood alone and slept in the woods that night, a sad white snow falling over the world. But during this time the Guardians had a party, laughing and singing, and probably harassing Bunny, not a care in the world.

I crammed the invitation back into the envelope and, for a second, considered crumpling it and throwing it before sighing and sliding it into the pocket of my hoodie. A party? No, I'd never been to one. How do you act when you're surrounded by other people? Do you bring presents? Food? _I'm pretty sure that on Christmas morning the last thing North wants to see is another present. _That made me chuckle as I took flight yet again, but my mood wasn't quite as happy as it had been before. There was a sick feeling on the edge of my thoughts, a darkness that lingered even as I grinned and shouted, drawing up a white blanket and watching time pass by.

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**Was Bunny in character? Jack? Please review!**


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